Donut Strike 4 Manna nets more than 34,000 pounds of donated food

Local first responders will do their best to lay off the donuts from June 20-June 22 during the second annual "Donut Strike 4 Manna."
Produced by Red Iron Design House/Directed by Calliope Films, Courtesy of Manna Food Pantries

Steering clear of donuts, if only for a little while, was well worth it for Pensacola area first responders.

The 2018 Donut Strike 4 Manna hauled in the equivalent of 34,707 pounds of food for those in need. The campaign was a collaboration between Manna Food Pantries, the Pensacola Police Department, the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, the Pensacola Fire Department and Escambia County Fire Rescue.

The 2018 figure surpasses last year's amount by more than 9,000.

The four agencies laid off their favorite treats from June 20-22 and personally visited local supermarkets on those dates to take donations. The result is a grand total of 26,030 meals donated to neighbors in need, according to a press release from Manna. Individuals also dropped donations off at Manna the week of the strike.

"Thank you, Pensacola, for letting us put a lighthearted spirit on a very serious issue and helping us take care of all of our neighbors," said Pensacola Fire Department Chief Ginny Cranor in the press release.

Red Iron Design House and local director Chris Jadallah, under Calliope Films, produced a funny, movie-trailer-style video short to help promote the campaign. The video was designed to get a serious message across with an easy-going approach, Jadallah told the News Journal on June 19.

"I love this idea of talking about something as serious as feeding families, but doing it in this easily approachable way and making a video that people are actually going to watch and laugh at," Jadallah said. "'Cause sometimes, those charity videos can be a little heavy-handed."

Financial contributions were also made by Pen Air Federal Credit Union, Studer Group, ECSO, PPD and the Pensacola Professional Firefighters Local 707.